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Help needed for Clonazepam Problem

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thruster82

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Joined
Oct 27, 2013
Messages
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Hi Everyone

I am trying to sort out my dependence on Clonazepam. I have worked my way up to taking 6-8 mg daily since my mother passed away over 2 years ago.

I saw a psychiatrist last Friday to talk through the problem with this addiction. He suggested that I keep a diary of my intake on a daily basis. I am seeing him again in 3 weeks. I am also seeing my GP next week to discuss switching to diazepam. I think that he may be receptive to this but there is no way an equivalent amount (I.e. 120 - 160 mg daily) would be agreed.

I am going to perhaps try to gradually taper using a combination of the above.

Has anyone else tried to come off this much clonazepam.

Thanks
 
I moved your thread after another moderator saw your post, and we agreed to move it here, to help direct you to get the help you requested. Much support and respect to you. I wish you the best. <3
 
thruster82 said:
Hi Everyone

I am trying to sort out my dependence on Clonazepam. I have worked my way up to taking 6-8 mg daily since my mother passed away over 2 years ago.

I saw a psychiatrist last Friday to talk through the problem with this addiction. He suggested that I keep a diary of my intake on a daily basis. I am seeing him again in 3 weeks. I am also seeing my GP next week to discuss switching to diazepam. I think that he may be receptive to this but there is no way an equivalent amount (I.e. 120 - 160 mg daily) would be agreed.

I am going to perhaps try to gradually taper using a combination of the above.

Has anyone else tried to come off this much clonazepam.

Thanks
Click to expand...
Not exactly ... but in a way, yes.

I "worked my way up" (as you say -- I know how that goes!) to 6mg of Xanax per day over the course of a few years ... 2000 to 2003 or thereabouts. I was steady (but miserable) there for years. Then in 2008, under the outpatient guidance of a doctor who was an addiction specialist, I transitioned instantly to a high dose (~10 mg per day) of Klonopin and started to taper from there. I was back down to a level similar to yours within a few weeks. And then I got down to just a few mg per day over many months by making small cuts in daily dosage.

Unfortunately, I got stuck there -- or, more accurately, in that low-dose territory. I've actually been as low as 0.75mg - 1 mg per day, but not without discomfort. It's very difficult for me to say whether the discomfort has been caused by withdrawal symptoms or by untreated anxiety. I just haven't stuck it out long enough to be able to judge. Honestly, I'm so sick of taking Benzos -- I figure I've "dosed" around 15,000 times over those years!!! -- that I'm ready to just rip the Band-Aid off already and start over.

Given that you're on a relatively high dose of Klonopin -- probably higher than you "need" -- you could begin comfortably tapering before a switch to Valium. You say "6-8 mg" ... what happens at 6mg? As a start, could you try to hold steady at that level. Like, so it's truly 6mg and not a "range." After a comfortable period of time, a reduction to 5mg is totally realistic ... and on it will go.

Just an administrative point: I'm not quite sure why you need to switch to Valium at this point? If you get Klonopin filled in 1 mg tablets, then you can cut them in half and be able to work in 0.5mg increments -- which seems small enough at this stage. Then, you can get it filled in 0.5mg tablets and be able to work in 0.25mg increments. (There are 0.125 wafers, but they're expensive depending on your insurance situation.) At some point, I guess Valium will make sense. But, you don't need to push that right now I don't think? Maybe I'm missing something...

Good luck! <3
 
 
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